stuff i think

It happens about four mornings a week...

about 5:50 AM, as I leave our subdivision for my eight minute commute to the House of Prayer and drive up the hill out of the subdivision, a white Caddy pulls in front of me. Granted, I don't need to do a full bore, both-feet-on-the-brake-pedal stop, but I do need to slow down. Then, I follow the big white Caddy up the hill. The driver's path takes them along my path, so I follow. Slowly. V e r y slowly. The driver appears to be somewhat in anticipation of something jumping out in front of the car, although at the speed that we're travelling, they could hit a deer and the deer would walk away unscathed - even amused.

While my path is short, the Caddy's path is shorter. After less than a minute of driving, they turn into the parking lot of a Catholic church where others are gathering to go in to 6 AM Mass. While our traiditions have their obvious differences, my heart was warmed this morning at the faithfulness of this person...here we both are, awake, showered and dressed, going to take our place on the wall.

Just thinking about that as I drove in this morning, I have become convinced that most able bodied people would be successful beyond their wildest dreams if they were just faithful. it seems like a missing ingredient with so many...the value of being where you're supposed to be, and being there with your full senses. It's too easy to slide through life at 70%, especially if you're one of those few whose 70% is better than most of us at 100%. The words for today: Show up. Amaze the world.

On a side note, Aaron Walsh would be dissappointed if I didn't mention the passing of Marge Schott. Marge was a Cincinnati icon. She owned a large car dealership and, for a number of years, the Cincinnati Reds. She was at once foul and sweet. The would make the most inappropriate remarks about race or history, all the while chain smoking and calling everyone 'honey'. One part rough old lady, one part big hearted giver (she never met a children's charity that she didn't like...a lot), Marge served to remind us all that we're more complex than we think we are. There's a little of both sides of Marge in everybody. My pledge, today, is to be a Good Marge.